Cover for pressing platen



United States Patent 3,444,634 COVER FOR PRESSING PLATEN Claude E. Terry, Senoia, Ga, assignor to Southern Mills, Inc., Atlanta, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Filed Jan. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 535,266 Int. Cl. D06f 71/36, 83/00 US. CI. 3866 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE What is disclosed herein is a cover for a pressing platen which when placed on a pressing platen defines a pressing surface portion bounded by peripheral edge portions and to which a thermoplastic resin has been selectively applied so that only one or more of the peripheral edge portions are impregnated with the thermoplastic resin. Each peripheral edge portion which is impregnated with the thermoplastic resin is a portion of a cover which is subjected to excessive wear during use of the cover on a pressing platen. However, the restricting of the thermoplastic resin to one or more peripheral edge portions of the cover provides a cover which has a substantially long useful life while at the same time providing a cover which has substantially the same flexibility and other desirable characteristics of a cover that has not been impregnated with resin.

The present invention relates to cover cloths for use with dry cleaning and laundry presses. More particularly, the present invention relates to cover cloths for use on padded platens of steam presses and home ironing boards.

In conventional dry cleaning and laundry presses and conventional home ironing boards, the working surface of the stationary pressing platen is usually provided with a resilient padding and covered with a textile cover cloth. The resilient padding is of such a thickness as to prevent undue crushing and flattening of the fibers of the garment being pressed and is usually formed from a compressed fibrous batting or quilting or a sheet of foamed plastic. The cover cloth provides a smooth pressing surface which is free from lint and prevents any embossing of the padding design into the garments being pressed. These cover cloths are generally formed from a textile fabric of a relatively close weave. It is with these cover cloths that the present invention is specifically related.

Since these garment presses use live steam and operate in a temperature range of about 250 F. to 350 F. and higher it is essential that both the padding and the cover cloth be substantially unaffected by moisture or heat within these temperature considerations. Furthermore, to insure good garment pressing both the padding and the cover cloth should be of a highly porous nature thereby allowing the steam to vent and pass through the garments as they are being pressed.

The cover cloth, specifically, and in addition to the above requirements, must possess good flexibility so that it may be easily made to conform to and smoothly overlie the padding and the stationary pressing plate whereby a wrinkle-free working surface is provided for pressing garments. This is essential since wrinkles in the cover cloth oftentimes will be transmitted and impressed into the garments.

Moreover, since the actual working surface of the garment press is provided by the cover cloth it is apparent that such cover cloths should have certain properties of wear resistance so as to have an adequate working life. In connection with this wear resistance, it has been found that abrasion is the primary reason for failure in the cover cloths. Abrasion is apparently caused by garments being dragged over the surface of the cover cloths in arranging the garments on the working surface for the pressing operation. The areas of failure in the cover cloths indicate that the major amount of abrasion occurs in the edge regions where the cover cloth is pulled down around the edge of the padding and the stationary pressing platen to be secured in place. In these regions, not only is substantially the full length of each garment dragged over the cover cloth but the garments are also initially hanging from the edge of the pressing platen thereby increasing the drag-weight across the cover cloth and consequently producing a high degree of abrasion. This is particularly true where the garments are damp and wet.

Therefore, in accordance with the present invention there is provided a relatively smooth surface, flexible cover cloth from a porous, heat-resistant textile fabric wherein those areas which are subjected to the greatest abrasion during garment pressing operations have been treated with a thermoplastic resin which is fiexible, moisture resistant, heat resistant and abrasion resistant. Cover cloths of this type have substantially extended working lives as will be more apparent from the detailed description of the present invention to follow hereinafter.

The textile fabrics which may be used for the cover cloths of the present invention are generally woven from yarns which resist scorching and degration due to heat. It is preferred that these yarns be formed from synthetic fibers such as nylon, rayon, polyester, or glass, however natural fibers could be used in certain instances. The fibers comprising the yarns may be of varying length from staple fibers to continuous filaments. Fibers of this type are substantially unaffected by temperatures up to 445 F. and even higher. In some instances the synthetic or natural fibers may be subjected to various treatments which enhance their heat resistance characteristics.

As was previously mentioned the textile fabrics are usually woven although it is conceivable that fabrics of the non-woven type may also be employed. It is essential that the fabric have sufficient porosity to allow venting of the steam in the garment pressing operation. It is also essential that the fabric be of such texture that the working surface of the cover cloth does not impart an embossed effect to the garment being pressed. This of course, will generally be determined by the types of garment fabrics being pressed. However, in physically providing the necessary texture and porosity, factors such as the size and type of filaments and yarns as well as the weave construction must be taken into consideration.

In fabricating the cover cloth of the present invention, the textile fabric is cut and sewn to approximate the size of the pressing platen over which it will be placed and secured. The cover cloth is generally of elongate configuration with one or both end portions being tapered to some extent. Draw strings or hooks may be provided around the periphery of the fabric to secure it to the pressing platen. When secured in place, the fabric will conform to the platen and provide a wrinkle free surface over the resilient padding.

The fabric may be treated with the thermoplastic resin either before or after fabrication into a cover cloth. However, it is most advantageous to provide the treatment after fabrication since application of the thermoplastic resin is restricted to the areas which are subjected to high abrasion and these areas are more easily determined after fabrication. Overall treatment of the cover cloth with the thermoplastic resin in accordance with this invention is undesirable since it will unduly stiffen the fabric, even though the resin used is of a flexible type. As indicated previously, the fabric should be maintained as flexible as possible so that it may be made to easily conform to the surface of the platen and provide a wrinkle-free working surface.

Generally, treatment of the cover cloths with the particular thermoplastic resin is restricted to those areas of the cover cloths which overlie the edges of the pressing plates since it has been found that these are the areas which receive the highest abrasion. Most often this treatment will only include portions of these areas. Exemplary of the latter situation are the cover cloths to be used with the platens of steam presses wherein the operator loads garments to the press from only one end. In this situation only that area of the cover cloth which overlies the loading end of the platen is likely to receive such abrasion as would substantially shorten the life of the cover. Therefore, only this area, which is generally referred to as the nose-end of the cover cloth, is treated with the thermoplastic resin. Of course, if an operator loads garments to the platen of a steam press from both ends the cover cloth would be treated with the thermoplastic resin at both of its corresponding areas. These areas, or nose-ends, of the cover cloth which overlie the ends of the pressing platen are generally those which have been tapered.

The thermoplastic resin contemplated for use in the present invention include polyimides, polyphenylene xides and polycarbonates. These resins possess excellent resistance to abrasion and, in addition, are relatively unaffected by aqueous media over a wide temperature range. Furthermore, the resins are highly resistant to elevated temperatures such as would be encountered in steam pressing operations. They do not become-sticky or tend to suffer from chemical break-down. Another important characteristic of these resins is that they are very flexible and provide only a slight increase in stiffness in the areas of the fabric to which they are applied. The resins are also capable of certain elongation thereby allowing the fibers and yarns of the fabric to retain their mobility and stretchability. It is also pointed out that the surfaces provided by these resins after application to the cover cloths are extremely smooth and slick having a low coefficient of friction.

In treating the fabrics of the cover cloths a resin dispersion or solution is first prepared so as to contain between about 1% to 15% solids and, preferably, between about 5% to solids. The various dispersing agents and solvents which may be used are well known in the art and literature. Examples of some suitable solvents and dispersing agents include dimethyl-acetamide, toluene, methylchloride an-d xylene.

These solutions or dispersions of the thermoplastic resin are then applied to the fabric by known techniques, such as by roller, spray or brush. Generally, between 0.1 and 3.5 ounces per square yard of resin are deposited upon the fabric, although it is preferred to deposit between 1.0 and 1.5 ounces per square yard of resin. The dry resin pick-up of the coated area of the fabric is usually between 12% and 18%.

The resin thus deposited impregnates the individual yarns of the fabric so as to encase each of the individual filaments thereof but does not fill the interstices of the fabric. This is essential since the ultimate success of the cover cloth depends in part upon retention of the porosity of the fabric. The resin surrounding each individual filament provides a protective sheath guarding against abrasion. As a result, breakage of the filaments and consequent failure of the fabric is substantially delayed thereby providing the cover cloth with a prolonged working life.

The resin treated fabric is ready for use as a finished cover cloth upon being cured or dried. In the case of polycarbonates and polyphenylene oxides, air drying for approximately two minutes has been found to be satisfactory. However, with polyimide resins it may be necessary to apply heat (i.e. 400 F.) to achieve rapid drying. Time requirements for the curing and drying may vary considerably with shorter times generally being attained with the use of heat.

The following example may serve to further clarify the present invention as above-described.

A woven fabric comprising 16/2 warp and filling yarns of nylon 66 fibers and having a construction of 41 ends by 40 picks was cut and sewn into two cover cloths for a conventional 54 tapered steam press for garments. The nylon 66 fibers had previously been heat treated to improve the heat resistance of the fabric.

One of these cover cloths was placed on the lower platen of the tapered steam press. A fibrous padding, as normally employed in these operations, was present be tween the cover cloth and the platen. An operator then began pressing garments on the steam press taking care to load the garments to the press from only one end. The pressing operation was continued until the cover cloth failed by reason of fiber and yarn breakage due to abrasion caused by garment drag.

The second cover cloth was treated with polycarbonate resin in the area which would overlie the garment loading end of the same steam press platen. This area is defined as the nose-end of the cover cloth. The polycarbonate resin was applied by brushing dispersion of 5% to 10% resin solids in methylene chloride solution onto the fabric. The fabric was air dried for approximately two minutes whereby it was determined that 1.0 to 1.5 ounces per square yard of resin had been deposited upon the treated portion of the fabric.

The thus treated cover cloth was then tested in the same manner as the untreated cover cloth using the same steam press and operator. Testing was continued until failure of the cover cloth due to abrasion by garment drag.

In comparison, the results of these two tests indicated that the thermoplastic resin treated cover cloth had a 35% to 41% increase in working life over the untreated cloth. This substantially extended working life was apparently due to increased abrasion resistance in the area of the cover cloth which was subjected to high abrasive action during the pressing operation. The porosity and flexibility of the treated and the untreated cover cloths were substantially the same and neither cover cloth transferred any design by embossing to the garments being passed.

Therefore, it may be concluded that the resin treated cover cloth of the present invention substantially retained the desirable properties and characteristics of the untreated cover cloth while having a substantially increased working life.

Thus, having described the present invention it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and therefore it is intended that the present invention be limited only as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pressing platen cover cloth having an extended working life comprising a fabric having a configuration which generally corresponds to the configuration of a pressing platen and which when placed on said pressing platen defines a pressing surface portion bounded by peripheral edge portions, said fabric being treated with a thermoplastic resin in at least some of said peripheral edge portions and said fabric being untreated with said thermoplastic resin in said pressing surface portion.

2. A pressing platen cover cloth according to claim 1 wherein the fabric is woven from multi-fiber yarns and is of a porous nature.

3. A pressing platen cover cloth according to claim 2 wherein the multi-fiber yarns of a portion of the fabric which has been resin treated are impregnated with the thermoplastic resin while the interstices of the fabric remain free from any thermoplastic resin.

4. A pressing platen cover cloth according to claim 3 wherein the fibers of the multi-fiber yarns which have been resin impregnated are encased within a thermoplastic resin sheath.

5. A pressing platen cover cloth according to claim 4 wherein the multi-fiber yarns are heat resistant and the thermoplastic resin is flexible, heat resistant, abrasion resistant, moisture resistant and capable of being elongated to the same extent as the fabric.

6. A pressing platen cover cloth according to claim 5 wherein the thermoplastic resin is selected from the group consisting of polyimides, polyphenylene oxides or polycarbonates.

7. A pressing platen cover cloth according to claim 5 wherein the multi-fiber yarns are formed from a synthetic material selected from the group consisting of nylon, rayon, or polyester.

8. A pressing platen cover cloth having an extended working life comprising a porous, heat resistant fabric woven from multi-fiber yarns, said fabric having a generally elongate configuration with at least one tapered end portion corresponding with a tapered end of a pressing platen, said fabric being selectively impregnated with a heat-resistant, abrasion-resistant thermoplastic resin only in the general area of a tapered end portion, said resin impregnation encasing the fibers of the yarns in a thermoplastic resin sheath while the interstices of the fabric remain free from any thermoplastic resin.

9. A pressing platen cover cloth according to claim 8 wherein the thermoplastic resin is selected from the group consisting of polyimides, polyphenylene oxides, or polycarbonates.

10. A pressing platen cover cloth according to claim 8 wherein the multi-fiber yarns of the fabric have been previously treated to enhance their heat resistance prior.

11. In a porous, woven, heat-resistant cover cloth for use on pressing platens of garment steam presses having a generally elongate configuration with tapered end portions, the improvement therein comprising a thermoplastic resin impregnating only the tapered end portions of the cover cloth without substantially affecting the porosity of the fabric, said thermoplastic resin being heatresistant, abrasion-resistant, moisture-resistant, and capable of elongation to the same extent as the fabric of the cover cloth whereby the Working life is substantially extended as compared to unimpregnated cover cloths.

12. In a porous, woven, heat-resistant cover cloth according to claim 11 wherein the thermoplastic resin is selected from the group consisting of polyimides, polyphenylene oxides, or polycarbonates.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,839,553 1/1932 Heighes 38--66 2,382,141 8/1945 Dawson et al. 38-66 2,542,297 2/1951 Sunbury et al. 3866 X 3,121,965 2/1964 McBride 38-97 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.. 

